|
Article 1: Name and
Address
The name of the organization is Cornell Village Public School
Advisory Council (herein referred to as the “Council”. The address is
Cornell Village Public School
186 Country Glen Road
Markham, ON L6B 1B5
The phone number is (905) 471-1694.
Article 2: Mission
Statement
Cornell Village Public School Advisory Council supports
collaboration between the students, their families, the school and the
community in order to establish and maintain an open, trusting environment
that promotes student achievement in our diverse community.
Article 3: Purpose
and Objectives
The purpose and objectives of the Council are to:
1. engage parents/guardians to get involved in the education
of their children.
2. provide a way for regular communication and dialogue
between education partners.
3. participate in the Annual School Improvement Planning
Process.
4. provide input into school administration, Board, and
Ministry decisions.
Suggested best practices include:
- provide positive and innovative advice to the school
- encourage shared responsibility for student learning
among students, parents, and teachers
to develop an increased sense of shared
accountability for public education
- support school, family, and community partnerships that
assist parents in the education of their children
- provide a means of regular communication and dialogue
between all partners in education
- fundraise to enhance the educational life of our
students
- support and/or coordinate the services of social,
health, safety, recreational and nutritional programs that assist in the
education and well-being of our children
- promote and maintain contact with other School
Advisory Councils
Article 4:
Procedures and Operating Guidelines
School Advisory Councils are advisory bodies. A School
Advisory Council will provide advice to the school principal and, where
appropriate, to the Board on any matter that relates to student learning.
Notwithstanding the above, confidential personnel matters may not be
addressed by School Advisory Councils nor are School Advisory Councils to
discuss confidential information on individual students.
If confidential information is divulged at a meeting, the
chair will instruct Council members to keep the information confidential,
request that members of the public keep the information confidential, ensure
that the minutes do not refer to the indiscretion, and determine if further
action needs to be taken.
The operational procedures of this School Advisory Council
comply with the procedures outlined in York Region District School Board
(YRDSB) Procedure #262. All recommendations and activities of the School
Advisory Council shall comply with all Ministry of Education Acts, YRDSB
Policies and Procedures and Staff Collective Agreements.
Article 5:
Definitions
When we use the term “parent” in this document, we mean it to
include any person who is the parent and/or legal guardian of a student
attending Cornell Village Public School.
Article 6:
Membership
6.1: Parent / Guardians Members
The number of parent / guardian members on the Council shall
be a minimum of eleven (11) and a maximum of nineteen (19) elected parents /
guardians of children enrolled in Cornell Village Public School.
There shall be no
more than one parent member on the school advisory council from any one
household.
6.2: Community
Representatives
The number of community representatives shall be a maximum of
two (no minimum requirement).
6.3: Teaching Staff
Representative
There will be a volunteer teacher representative who may be
designated by the principal.
6.4: General
(Non-Voting) Membership
All parents / guardians of students who attend Cornell Village
Public School, all staff of Cornell Village Public School and all public
school ratepayers within the area serviced by the school boundaries have the
right to be recognized as members of the Cornell Village Public School
community and are welcome to attend Council meetings.
6.5: Other Members
Other members such as a student representative, support staff
representative and principal may be appointed.
6.6: Conflict of
Interest
If individual Council members perceive themselves to be in
conflict of interest, they are honour bound to declare their conflict at the
earliest possible opportunity and at the time of the meeting. The minutes of
the meeting will reflect this declaration. As a result, the Council member is
ineligible to vote on the issue(s) relating to their conflict of interest.
6.7: Remuneration
Council members cannot receive remuneration for their work as
a member of council.
6.8: Membership
Responsibilities
School Advisory
Council Members
- are accountable to the constituents they serve
- maintain a school-wide perspective on issues
- participate regularly in Council meetings
- participate in meetings and information and training
programs
- act as a link between the Council and the community
- encourage the participation of parents from all
groups and of other people within the school community
- are willing to be an equal member and share in the
duties and initiatives undertaken by the Council
- will sit on at least one subcommittee and participate
regularly in subcommittee meetings and activities
- will act in a professional manner at meetings, on
emails, on the telephone, and while using social media, as well as not
abuse tenure or position on Council in anyway.
The Principal
- supports and promotes the Council’s operations and
activities as an equal member of the Council
- seeks input from the Council in areas which it has
identified as priorities and is prepared to provide a rationale for
decisions made
- provides or gathers resources on laws, regulations,
Board policies and collective agreements required by the Council to
enable it to make informed decisions
- ensures that copies of the Council constitution and
by-laws, financial reports, and minutes of meetings are kept at the
school and available for everyone to see
- ensures all contacts and information are forwarded to
the chair
- assists the Council in communicating with the school
community
- encourages the participation of parents from all
groups and of other people within the community
- lends support to school community organizations which
operate separately from the Council, and serves as an effective liaison
between the Council and such organizations
Article 7: Elections
7.1: Non-Council Election
Committee
If an election is required, the Council/Principal shall
appoint a Non-Council Election Committee to plan the election process, gather
nominations, and run the election. No one standing for election or the spouse
of anyone standing for election shall be a member of the election committee.
The election committee shall
- provide nomination forms for distribution within the
first week of September in the new school year
- once nominations are confirmed, a list of nominees
must be distributed to the school community with notification of
election procedures, election date(s), location, and time, at least
fourteen days in advance of election
- forums will be provided for the school community to
either meet the nominees (if there are more than nineteen (19) nominees)
in preparation for the election, or meet acclaimed Council members (if
there are nineteen (19) or less nominees) if no election is warranted
- ensure that the school community is notified of
election procedures and election date(s), location, and time, at least
fourteen days in advance of election
- make ballots and a ballot box available in the school
office for parents who want to vote but cannot attend the September
Council meeting
- conduct the elections by secret ballot
- count both the ballots cast at the Council meeting
and through the office ballot box
- help the principal notify all candidates of the
results
- keep all the results and related information
confidential
- release only the names of successful candidates
- notify all individuals standing for election of the
results before the results are released to the school community
A list of candidates and the vote results will be kept on file
for use in the event of vacancy on the council.
7.2: Date
Elections for Council membership shall take place annually, no
later than the September Council meeting. At least fourteen (14) days’ notice
shall be given to the general school population that the election process
will take place on the designated date.
7.3: Election
Procedures for Parent Members
Each parent / guardian seeking election must be nominated or
self-nominated in writing, must have a child registered at Cornell Village
Public School, and must declare if they are employed by the Board.
Each parent / guardian of a student enrolled in Cornell
Village Public School shall be entitled to one vote for each vacant parent / guardian
member position on the Council.
7.4: Acclamation
Parent elections shall be by acclamation when the number of
candidates is equal to or less than the number of parent member positions on
the Council.
7.5: Election of the
Executive
Once the parent members are elected, the newly elected Council
votes on its Executive for the year. (See Article 8 for list of positions.)
7.6: Terms of Office
Council members serve a one-year term of office. There are no
restrictions to the number of times a member can be re-elected.
7.7: Resignations
Anyone who is a Council member, except the principal, may
resign by writing a letter of resignation to the Chair. If someone resigns,
the Council will fill the position according to Article 7.8: Vacancies.
7.8: Removal
The Council may choose to remove from the Council any member
who misses three (3) consecutive meetings and shall undertake to replace that
person according to Article 7.8: Vacancies.
7.9: Vacancies
A vacancy in the membership of Council does not prevent the
Council from exercising its authority.
The Council should fill positions that become vacant due to
resignation or removal as soon as possible by
- offering the person with the next largest number of
votes who was not elected the opportunity to accept the position,
- notifying all parents of the vacancies and requesting
application by interested volunteers,
- calling an election if there are more applications
than positions,
- appointing a parent member when no more candidates
are available, or
- choosing not to replace the vacancy if Council
membership continues to exceed the minimum of eleven members.
The Council will fill vacancies only until May of the current
year, after which time Council will fill the vacant positions through the
annual September election.
Article 8: The Executive
8.1: Executive
The Executive is elected from the newly elected parent members
of the Council and shall consist of:
- Chair (customarily filled by the Vice Chair when
re-elected to the Council)
- Vice Chair
- Past Chair (customarily filled by retiring Chair when
re-elected to the Council)
- Secretary
- Treasurer
In the event that the retiring Chair and Vice Chair cannot
fulfill their duties as Past Chair and Chair respectively, the Council
membership shall elect a new Past Chair and Chair.
8.2: Chair
An employee of the Board cannot be Chair.
The Chair shall
- call and chair Council meetings
- prepare an agenda for meetings, in consultation with
other Council members and the principal
- ensure that the minutes of the meetings are recorded
and maintained
- coordinate the activities of the Council and
subcommittees of the Council
- communicate with the principal
- ensure that there is communication with the community
- sign any contracts, minutes of meetings, this
constitution and other documents which the Council has authorized
- prepare the Council Annual Report as required by the
Board
- liaise with the Trustees and Board as required
- ensure that the Council constitution and by-laws are
reviewed each year
8.3: Vice Chair
The Vice Chair shall
- provide support for the Chair as required
- act as Chair in the absence of the Chair
- review meeting minutes with the Secretary prior to
distribution
8.4: Past Chair
The Past Chair shall
- act as a resource to the Chair on past activities of
the Council
- advise the Chair on proper procedure for the Council
- act as advisor to the Council
8.5: Secretary
The Secretary shall
- record attendance and the minutes of the meetings of
the Council
- ensure the minutes are posted by the school within 14
days of the meeting
- distribute the minutes by email to all Council
members
- distribute reminders by email to the
Council members about upcoming meetings along with the agendas for
that meeting
- ensure that all records are kept in a safe place
8.6: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall
- prepare a Treasurer’s report and share with attendees
at each Council meeting
- prepare the Annual Council Treasurer’s Report as
required by the Board
8.7: Vacancies in
Office
The Council will fill Executive vacancies as soon as possible
according to Article 7.8: Vacancies.
Article 9: Subcommittees
9.1: Establishment
Ongoing subcommittees of the Cornell Village Public School
Advisory Council are
- Parent Engagement and Communication
- Fundraising
- Sustainability
- Staff Appreciation & Support
- Constitution Review
As the need arises, Council will form ad hoc
subcommittees—subcommittees appointed to deal with a specific issue, report
on it and disband.
9.2: Purpose
The purpose of each subcommittee is to
- conduct the detailed, in-depth work that is not
possible during Council meetings,
- make recommendations to the Council, and
- keep the Council informed of issues and developments
in its particular area.
9.3: Membership
Subcommittees will draw their membership from the members of
the school community. Each subcommittee must contain at least one parent
member of Council and may include parents who are not members of the Council.
9.4: Chair
Each subcommittee will appoint its own Chair. The subcommittee
Chair does not have to be a member of the Council.
9.5: Meetings
Subcommittees, except Constitution Review, will meet regularly
between Council meetings to ensure they conduct their business in a timely
manner.
9.6: Updates and
Recommendations
All subcommittee chairs are required to provide updates at the
Council meeting when indicated on the agenda. If they cannot attend the
Council meeting, they will submit a written update.
All subcommittees shall report to the Council to obtain final
approval of the subcommittee’s recommendations.
Article 10: Meetings
10.1: Timetable
At the first meeting of the new school year, the Council will
create a timetable of meeting dates for the current school year. The Council
will publicize these dates to the families of the school. It is recognized
that the timetable may change at any time. The Council will publicize changes
to the meeting timetable to the families of the school.
The Principal or Chair will send a copy of the meeting
timetable to the local trustee.
The Council will meet a minimum of four times each year.
10.2: Attendance
Members of the Council must either send regrets to the Chair
directly or via another Council member if they are going to be absent from a
Council meeting.
10.3: Quorum
A meeting will have quorum if the majority of Council members
are present representing at minimum half plus one of the Council members
(i.e., Council membership equals eleven, must have six members present to
have a quorum). The Council can meet if there is no quorum, but will defer
all voting.
10.4: Decision-making
The preferred method to resolve issues on Council is through
consensus. Consensus is a collective opinion or general agreement by all the
members present. Comments and opinions from all meeting attendees are
welcome, regardless of membership status.
In the case where a decision cannot be reached through
consensus, the Chair may decide to
- call for a vote by way of a show of hands or a ballot
by those present in which a 51% majority shall carry the vote
- defer the issue to the next meeting
- defer the issue to a special meeting, established
subcommittee or ad hoc subcommittee for continued deliberation
A Council member may request a ballot vote on any issue.
10.5: Notice of
Motion
Notice is a means of showing an intention to discuss and/or
vote on something at a particular meeting. An advantage of giving notice is
that Council members and other interested community members become aware of
the motion and have time to consider its implications.
Any Council member may submit a Notice of Motion for consideration
at any meeting of the Council. Such Notice shall be in writing and delivered
to the Chair at a Council meeting approximately one month prior to the
Council meeting at which the motion is to be considered. This ensures that
the Notice can be distributed to all Council members and community members.
The chair will print the motion in the agenda of the Council meeting at which
it will be considered.
Notice is not mandatory and need not be given on every issue
discussed and/or voted on by the Council. Rather, it is intended to ensure
adequate input and attendance on important issues such as constitutional
amendments and major funding decisions.
10.6: Communication
The Council will publish a timetable of current school year
Council meetings at the beginning of the school year.
The Council shall announce its meetings in advance of the
meeting date.
10.7: Agenda
Agenda items should be submitted to the Chair two weeks prior
to the Council’s next meeting.
The Chair sets the agenda with the principal at least one week
ahead of the meeting. Time limits are set for each agenda item. The agenda is
distributed to Council members and interested parents by email no later than
one week prior to the upcoming meeting. It is also published on the Council page
of the school website. This affords Council members and interested parents
and community members the chance to come to the meeting prepared for
meaningful discussion.
The Executive may consider additional items for the final
agenda up to the day before the meeting. Attendees may not add agenda items
at the meeting
Next meeting draft agenda items are noted at the end of the
meeting.
10.8: Structure
When necessary, the Council will use Robert’s Rule of Order.
Council meetings will adhere to the following structure:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Review format of meeting, including voting process,
quorum, and structure
- Review of minutes of preceding meeting and acceptance
by motion and vote
- Acceptance of current agenda by motion and vote
- Principal’s Report
- Treasurer’s Report and acceptance by motion and vote
- Old business items
- New business items
- Subcommittee updates, including next meeting date,
time and location
- Meeting adjourned
10.9: Minutes
The school will be responsible for maintaining a copy of all
Council Minutes.
Minutes must be saved by the school, and posted on the Council
page of the school website within 14 days of the meeting. The Secretary will
distribute the minutes by email to all Council members and interested
attendees and parents.
Minutes shall include attendance, a synopsis of discussions,
motions, decisions and actions to be taken.
10.10: Conflict Resolution
The Council will undertake to resolve all internal conflicts
within its mandate in a timely manner. The Council will abide by any conflict
resolution policy issued by the Board.
Article 11:
Financial Management
11.1: Signing
Authorities
- Money will be held in a separate line of the school
account.
- Release of funds will occur based on the decision of
the Council.
- School officials are the final signing authority for
release of funds.
11.2: Disbursement
and Allocation of Money
- All funds raised by the Council shall be collected
for the purpose of enhancing the educational experience of students at
Cornell Village Public School.
- All money must be collected by the end of the year.
- Funds should be dispersed or allocated to a specific
purpose by the end of the year or allocated to the Council Reserve Fund.
- Council will commit to publishing how raised funds
were spent annually.
11.3: Audit
The Treasurer will meet with the Principal/Council annually to
review documentation related to the Council’s monies in the school account
and to prepare an annual treasurer’s report to be submitted to the York
Region District School Board.
The Council’s monies are audited by an independent accountant
as part of the audit of the school’s accounts.
The year-end for the Council’s financial records shall be
August 30th in any given year.
11.4: Reporting
The Treasurer will present a written update of the financial
record to the Council at each meeting.
Article 12: School
Advisory Council Constitution
12.1: Review
The Council will review the constitution every year or as the
need arises. The constitution subcommittee will perform the review and bring
proposed amendments to the Council for voting.
12.2: Amendments
Amendments to the constitution must be presented to the
Council at least 30 days in advance at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Constitutional amendments need a 2/3 majority to be passed.
Article 13: Protection of School Advisory Council Members
The York Region District School Board holds liability
insurance undertaken on behalf of all Councils and, as such, members of the
Cornell Village Public School Advisory Council are not personally liable for
decisions and activities undertaken in relation to the Council, with the
exception of any willful, destructive or dishonest act or neglect, performed
by a particular Council member for which that person will be held
accountable.
|